Why should I become a BNARC member?

[ylchik]

u may be asking yourself, “Why should I become an official member of BNARC?” There are numerous reasons! We have had many people asking us what this club can do for them, so let’s talk about that…

The BNARC official website briefly covers some of the benefits of being a member, and I will now explain some of those benefits in more detail.

1. Free entry into club-sponsored frag swaps- For non-members, there would be a nominal fee ($5) to participate on those events. If you are a member of BNARC, the club will pick up the entry fees and you get in for free.

2. Free door prizes just for members given out at monthly club meetings- Non-members will *not* be eligible for this door prize drawings, but will be eligible for the other doorprize drawing. Members will automatically be entered in the drawing for a chance to win a prize.

3. Free admission to annual membership party- We are planning an annual membership party, just to say thank you for supporting BNARC. Members would have their admission paid for by BNARC, non-members would have to pay an entry fee to cover their food/drink (this fee yet undetermined until we are closer to the event.)

4. Participation in club sponsored trips and tours- We are planning trips to various places (suggestions *always* welcome!!)…sort of field trips for reefers! This would allow us to get away as a club, meet your cohorts, and just have a nice relaxing day enjoying reef related activities. Depending on the activity, members would pay a small amount to cover their expenses on each outing.

5. Participation in group buys-
We would like to see 3 of these a year, one livestock, one renewable supplies and one bulb purchase set up by the BOD.
Any member can start a group buy at any time as long as they are willing to organize and be responsible for it. We invite our sponsors to pm group buy coordinators if you would like to try to earn their business. We want everyone to understand that it is ultimately up to the person organizing the buy on who they will use.


6.. Voting rights within the club- Non-members are not allowed to vote on board elections, nor are they allowed to run for office or nominate candidates. Members are allowed all of those privileges.


7. I support BNARC tag on your username on the BNARC website- This is pretty self-explanatory. Smile

8. Use of club owned equipment- A list of the club owned equipment can be seen in the club equipment forum. Members in good standing could borrow this equipment for free on a first post first serve basis.

9. Access to more information and features on our website BNREEF.com
(After we switch to the new site) being a member will allow you access to more information and features of the new website. A fuller list will be posted as the technical side of that is worked out.

10. Paying members are allowed to post new threads and reply to threads in the Classified Section. Both guests and registered members can view the Classified Section.


As you can see, the financial perks provided by being a member of BNARC are immense when compared to the cost of joining…a low $15. Where I work, purchasing one soda a month out of the vending machine for a year would cost that much. When you add up the savings, it’s well worth the money to become a member and help support BNARC!! Cool

So how do I become a member?
Submit your payment via paypal with the button on the left hand side of the page and be sure to include your REAL name and your screen name. A member of our admin team will add you to the user groups shortly http://bnreef.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[jhoppy]

How do you pay for the membership? I do not see a button.

[dwiggidee]

Good question. I will let one of the BOD answer that. But that makes me another to-do on my list. I need to add the Paypal icon to the side of the forum so you can pay via paypal.

[lcashman]

How do you pay for the membership? I do not see a button.

Once the paypal has been added to the site, you can pay your membership dues via paypal. If you don't feel comfortable with that, you can pay at the monthly meetings or contact one of the BODs.

Thanks,
Leland

[ylchik]

Couldn't they just go to paypal and pay bnreef.com 16.00 before the button is up.... make sure you add your real name, screen name, and contact info in the message box at paypal.

[dwiggidee]

PayPal button is up.

[cioutlaw]

I really think you are making a big mistake. I have been around BNARC since the beginning, a paid member for many years but dont see the benefit anymore for someone who lives outside the B-N area. I go to very few meetings (maybe 2 ever), the clubs equipment is 50 miles away & been to 2 frag swaps. I visit BNARC to swap info & view somewhat local classifieds. I know its only $15 but I am not paying it to look at or post classifieds & will most likely not visit much anymore. If I was a BNARC Member I would want my classifieds to have as much exposer as possible...who charges to view classifieds? If you want a club that possibly makes a profit with just B-N members then you are on the right track. But there are too many free sites out there that give me what I need for me to pay anyone anything.

[Chops30]

Cioutlaw you bring some interesting pionts to the table. In this economy a 50 mile drive can be a stretch but as B-N is the central hub of this club. I believe the equiptment is in a good spot for everyone to get a an opportunity to use it. Why so few meetings are they just to far away, do work schedule conflit with them. As the meeting are at different peoples houses throughout the area sometimes it may only be possiable to go to couple of meetings. There are several large cities ad surounding area that our member base comes from . A person must ask themselves is there one in this area Bloomington, Champaign, Peoria, Springfield? If not Why not create one. As this is one of the few in the area we are open to anyone and everyone to join. But with that being said it's a large area to cover from west of Peoria, south of Decator,east of Champaign, and north to LaSalle. So yes sometimes the drive is alot but I believe the benefit of shared knowlegde and a chance to see how everyone has there tank setup is worth the drive. I know I've missed meetings do to my job but that's life and this is a hobby. You say you've been to 2 frag swaps did you like them, did they have something you bought? Did you see anything that might need improvement? As for the classified section the BOD is deciding what to do about it. We must remember this is our new website forum there are still things that need ironing out. The internet is an invalueable tool in this or any other hobby one might be interested in. Yes, there is alot of good information from alot of different site. But there is also those that I like to call "keyboard warriors". Persons who express there personal view on a subject matter but rarely contribute any tangable information. As a local forum we can dicuss information and together find the truth of what is being said out there on the world wide web. A profit really? The funds of this club through the ONCE a year dues of 15 dollars is used to buy raffle prizes of the meetings club equiptment to be used, materials for make take DIY, and lastly a most expensive to rent a facilty and buy the nessary needs of runing the Fragfest. There is not one person getting paid through these funds. All BOD are taking time away from there families and lives to help move the club forward in it's growth and knowledge sharing and not getting paid for it. AS a long time member that's not seeing the benifits anymore. what sujestion do you have to rekindle the spark of your euthusiasium for this club. What has changed that needs correctin. I'm all for critism but negative with no positive ideas of correction are piontless. As with any hobby, job, and just plan life we all from time to time become "burnout" and need a chance to step away for awhile. I see this post and can't help but think perhaps someone is feeling this burn. In closing it is my opinion that this club and it's members are indeed worth a ONCE a year dues. I've met someone interesting people shared many ideas and learned alot. I am glad I'm a member and hope to continue to be for a long time to come.

With that I step down from my soapbox.

[cioutlaw]

I wasnt complaining about the swaps, meetings or even the equipment. the club has been doing that for years & its all good. To limit non-members on the forums is what my complaint is about. People like me that just want to swap info & use the classifieds. The more people you have contibute to the forums & classifieds the better for both members & non members. I dont think people will even register if they dont see the site first, new people should be able to browse around awhile to see if its something they are interested in before signing up. I would hope what is charged to sponsers would pay to keep the site going.

[Chops30]

So in an effort to understand the piont being made here. That a person should be able to reap the benefits of this club without actually becoming a member? I do agree that people visiting this site should be able to see the bulk of the information and discussions we have here. As your not the first person to bring up the classifieds seems there is alot of people that use this site as a "Craigs list" of reefer equiptment and animals. Not really caring about the club just wanna see the good deals? IMHO that is something that's not right, were do you draw the line as to what's a benifet to being in this club. To run it the way people are saying to seems to me they just want this site to be an Ebay. So no that's not just what this club is about only a small part of the whole. This after all is a hobby to most of us, and the main purpose of this site in my view is to engage in discussions on reefing not unload my stuff laying around.

[Jesse]

I'll likely never make it to a meeting or much of anything else, however I had no problem paying the 16 bucks. I realize forums cost money to operate as does everything else that the club offers and I'm happy to be a part of it. Well worth less than 2 dollars a month.

[cioutlaw]

Reap the benifits? I dont use the benifits which is the point. I SWAP information in the forums, PURCHASE from your sponsors & 99% of the time I use the classifieds to PURCHASE, most of the time from your members. I havent sold anything in years if ever. I have NEVER charged anyone for a frag in my life. So who reaps the benifits? I know of many reef related sites that offer FREE classifieds so dont worry about it, in fact I dont know of any that charge to view classifieds. I have been in this hobby for over 25 years I will find my way. If this is the route the BOD wants to go so be it, Im out.

[Chops30]

As I am not a BOD member I can't speak as to what action they will take in deciding this matter. I am a member purely expressing my opinion on the matter. As people can see by my signature. This is my first reef tank and it's still under a year old. But being a member of a club is nothing new to me from cub scouts, 4H to model building and woodworking. With any club it is impossiable to please everyone and there are guildlines and rules that some dissagree on. From reading this post i can see there's a passion for this hobby. To still be there after 25 yrs is awesome I hope that I will have that same drive 25 yrs from now. The route of any club is to move foward but there are bumps in the road, as well as people tugging at either side. i think this discussion exemplifies the meaning of this forum. As my part I'm truely only trying to understand a different piont of view. It is not my intension to upset someone to the piont of quiting this forum and club. Unfortunatly discussing a matter much as this in it's medium doesn't lend itself to the human side. A sentence read the wrong way can completely change it's meaning. As for reaping the benifits I'd say you've gotten out of this club exactly what you've wanted a place to swap information and purchase goods.
Well then I would like to take this opertuninty to thank Doug for his time to create this new site and to the BOD for trying to do the best they can for this club in their FREE time. It would be nice if everything was free but that's real life and this medium and the services the club tries to provide cost money. Why should I become a BNARC Member? I think the reasons listed in the OP are enough to warrant my 16 dollars. But then again that's just my opinion.

[Chops30]

As for other sites here's a interesting thread i found the other day;

http://www.uberfrags.net/forums/showthread.php?6666-Another-user-(ME)-banned-from-RC-amp-I-m-proud-of-it....&highlight=banned

[ylchik]

Just as a quick mention the general reef keeping can be seen to a registered member without paying - as well as being able to see where mtgs and events are happening, ask questions about membership and tech issues..... if people like what they see they can join if they don't they can move on and find a home better suited to them.....

As far as classifieds go - we are continuing that discussion -

Overall I just ask people to remember that we, people, are resistant to change - any and all decisions this current BOD make are to the best of our ability to do good things for the club.

I realize that there is no way that 400 registered users are going to agree on everything. We hope that everyone will continue to enjoy the relationships they have created in this club.